My blood sugars have been between 267-388 for 2 days now and I don’t know how to fix it. The first day my sugars really seemed to spike I though it was because I didn’t get any sleep the night before and I was stressed, but it still high today and I got a some sleep last night I’m still a little tired but not that much, and I started my period a couple days ago so when I start my sugars usually go up to the 200s but not to 300. I just don’t know how to fix it. I really don’t want to tell my mom because she will be upset that I didn’t tell her sooner. What should I do?
Hi @hannahtoriee,
You haven't told us what your normal regimen is and what, if anything, you've tried already.
There are lots of reasons why your blood sugars can go high. In fact, there are over forty factors that go into affecting your blood sugars. Fighting an infection is one thing that has definitely caused my numbers to go high, and the same thing could be happening to you. Menstruating right now probably doesn't help, but you did say that you're higher than usual even for your period, so I doubt that's the only reason you're battling this high.
Having said all that, there are three things you can do right now, but -- spoiler alert -- two of them involve more insulin:
- You should try a corrective bolus if you haven't tried one already. If you don't know what this means, this is giving yourself more insulin to bring yourself back into your target range. You need to be careful about how you do this, though, because it is actually very easy to give yourself too much insulin, and then have a crashing low afterward. The right way to do this is to calculate your bolus the way you normally would at mealtime, but leave the number of carbs in the calculator at zero.
- If you're on a pump, you can also try adjusting your basal rate -- the rate at which insulin is delivered when you're not eating -- upward for a few hours. For example, if you normally pump 0.3 units an hour, you could try 0.5 for three or four hours and watch what happens.
- Finally, exercise, including something as simple as walking quickly for an hour around your neighborhood, can help bring your sugars down. I'm putting this last, though, because you are describing having some pretty high numbers, and most experts suggest not exercising if your blood glucose is above 250.
Whatever you do, though, you need to be careful. As bad as highs are, lows are much more dangerous. If I were in your shoes, I'd give myself a corrective bolus, double my basal rate, watch my CGM numbers closely for the next few hours in case they dip too low too fast, and start downing sugar packets early if it looks like I'm about to have a low. However, this is something I've learned how to do (and do safely) only from lots of practice, trial and error. Your body is different than mine, and if you're new to self-management you should try baby steps. For example, try just a corrective bolus, wait a few hours, and then possibly add additional measures only if that doesn't work.
HTH,
Clay
Tell your mother, now. Don’t try to handle this by yourself. Yes, she may get frustrated. But managing your diabetes well is the goal here, not avoiding your mother’s frustration.
You likely need to consult with your physician. There are times when your diabetes will get really goofy. A “team approach” is the best way to get things back to “normal.” And that team really needs to include you, your physician, and your family.
Bolusing on your own can get dangerous until you have years of experience managing your diabetes. Even after over 60 years of T1D I still make an error from time to time. So, avoid the danger - tell your mother and go visit with your doctor. Be safe, and smart!
Wish you the best! Bill
Hi Victoria @hannahtoriee,
TypeOneNation should not be used for emergency medical advice; for the most part members here are not medical professionals.
I go along with what Bill @BillHavins is advising and also agree with much of what clay @claycompton suggests. A notable suggestion, do NOT engage in any extra exercise because right now [from your BG results] your body doesn’t appear to be utilizing sugars in your blood for energy and will instead break down your muscles and stored fats for energy causing acidosis {aka, DKA} and possible poisoning. Also, if you are using a pump your “correction bolus” injections should be made with a needle & syringe or a new pen with fast or rapid-acting insulin. Do not depend on a pump infusion set and followed planned sick-day rules.
It may have gone on too long now but please do seek medical assistance if you have not yet recovered.
Victoria,
I want to add a bit more to the post I left yesterday (I was typing on my phone, ugh!).
You didn’t tell us how long you have had diabetes. And you didn’t tell us your age, but it is pretty obvious from your post that you are in your teen years.
Managing diabetes during the teenage years is often tough. A person’s response to/need for insulin can change from one day to the next. For a teenager with T1D it can make effective management seem impossible. It can just be, well, scary. And it can be scary for parents, too. Unfortunately, parents’ fears are sometimes communicated with frustration.
Skilled diabetes educators are able to help patients and families begin to manage the ups and downs of diabetes during the teenage years. Some of us make it through those years without too much difficulty. But for some it’s like wrestling a grizzly bear. The goal is to continue to strive and to manage diabetes as well as you can - the goal is not a specific A1c level - it is to manage diabetes as well as you can. And that takes a team of people.
So, please, visit with your mom. Visit with your physician, and your diabetes educator. Grab that grizzly bear by the scruff of the neck and let it know who is in charge! Your team will be there to applaud your successes and support you when the bear is trying to win.
Hope this makes sense! And we’re all pulling for you!
Bill
After a couple of hours my sugar kept rising so I told my mom and she told me just to wait and see by 12 am my sugar was at 267 and I went to bed. I woke up to check at 2 and it was 113. Out of my 8 years of being diabetic I hadn’t gone over 300 since the day I was diagnosed so I was having a little anxiety, I thought I was going to be back at 800 being airlifted to the hospital, so thank you all so much.
Bravo! And thanks for letting us know how you’re doing.
Bill
Hi Victoria @hannahtoriee so happy to hear you got yourself back, and mother was understanding
We all go through days like that no matter how diligently we try 